Display ads boost as revenues fall at Trinity Mirror
NEWSPAPER publisher Trinity Mirror has seen a further decline in advertising in its regional operations.
The company, which owns dailies the Birmingham Mail and Coventry Telegraph along with a host of sister weeklies, reports today that overall ad revenues have dropped 8% year-on-year for the 17-week period ending 2 May.
However, its interim management statement does report that display advertising was up 4% for the period among its non-national titles, a marked contrast to other categories which all saw a downturn.
Recruitment was down 20%, property fell by 9%, motors dropped 15% and all other classified categories showed an 11% decrease.
January and February this year saw dips in overall ad revenue of 6%, with a further decline of 10% for March and April, although Trinity Mirror says that January’s figure is distorted by the extra week of trading last year.
The news comes ahead of one of the big events for the region’s press and media with tonight’s Midlands Media Awards, at the ICC in Birmingham.
The Birmingham Mail has been shortlisted three times, its sister weeklies the Post has five and the Sunday Mercury 11 nominations while the Coventry Telegraph features six times.
A battle for circulation and crucially advertising is on-going in the second city with last month’s launch of The Birmingham Press , by Chris Bullivant, the new free Birmingham Post Lite and the decision at the start of the year by the Express and Star to reignite its Birmingham edition.
Trinity Mirror’s statement said: “Trading conditions continue to be volatile with limited visibility on revenues, factors that were exacerbated during April in the run up to the general election.
“The trading environment continues to affect all our sources of revenue….we expect month on month volatility to continue.”
“We continue to manage the cost base…and remain on track to achieve at least the £20m targeted reduction in the underlying cost base in 2010.”
Its nationals division, which publishes the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and the People, saw a more even keel with 1% increases in January and February offset against 1% declines in March and April.
